Author: Mary

We were grateful for a mild, even warm day for the time of year as it was washing day. Anything that looked in need of a wash was bundled into two black sacks and carried to the wishy washy. It’s such a good feeling to get everything clean, especially as I have no idea where the next laundrette will be found. Coming back to the boat we enjoyed the Tuesday Market at LB where I purchased more samosas and bhajiis from the wonderful Indian stall. Next door was an Italian stall where I brought some unusual shaped pasta (spaghetti length, looking like straws), some delicious Italian biscuits and a bag of dried chicken peas. I realise that as long as I remember to soak dried beans in the morning,  lengthy simmering is possible on the stove so worthwhile doing. I saw an unusual recipe in a magazine recently using cooked chickpeas so I hope I can find it. If my memory is correct I think it used them as a replacement for eggs in a cake. I have certainly made very passable meringues out of chickpea juice so I wouldn’t be surprised if they can be a substitute for eggs in other recipes.

I gave the boat a good clean  which really doesn’t take long to do, and R went to Jewsons to buy some replacement tiles for around the stove. Infact he returned with a fireproof sheet which could be cut to size and fixed to the wall in place of more tiles. It sits perfectly well without adhesive so R won’t properly fix it in place until James has had a look. It might be that more tiles will be preferable to the owners of the boat.

Taking 9 empty litre bottles of water and a couple of 5l flagons to the water tap, I felt like the outcast lady at the well who met with Jesus!  We keep extra water containers filled up with water in case we ever run short. At least we can have a cup of tea and wash our hands should our tank run dry! Its quite a good workout carrying the full bottles back to the boat.

Enjoyed a couple of lengthy and fun telephone conversations, one of them on the towpath as R was busy practicing  his accordian, making far too much noise to speak over!  His playing is definitely improving. I think he wants to be able to play a Scottish reel. Oh, to be able to dance again!

Tomorrow we are on the move. As I have mentioned before in my blog, its hard staying still in the cold and damp. The boat really needs to keep moving as the engine via the radiators gives the inside cabin a bit of a drying out. Also it’s very easy to get too comfortable and not want to move on. Moving the boat requires a bit of energy and if the weather is inclement it’s fairly hard work. Easier to hunker down! Makes one think is that true about life. One of the decisions R and I are mulling over is how long to stay in our current house, which we love and has been a perfect family home. However our children live away and  without lodgers we rattle around thinking about all the heating and other inflated bills! Perhaps it is time for a change and maybe being away on Wind Rose will help clarify our minds so decisions can be made.

We found another road out of Leighton Buzzard by crossing over the bridge at the railway station and taking a road to the right where we saw two old thatched roofed houses, a rare sight in LB. We haven’t seen many really old houses aside from the usual victorian terraces. So much of the housing looks relatively modern, ie post 1950s. We then found a public footpath which led to some beautiful fields but unfortunately the mud got the better of us so we were only able to walk a fraction of the path. We returned the way we had come , R laden with foraged wood, so not a wasted journey. Returning through a lovely park adjacent to the car hire and railway station, I liked the look of a church called St Barnabas that opened out onto the park. Sadly the building was closed but the church was open online!

We zoomed with friends who told us they had just seen a film called ‘Dig’ and thought we would enjoy it. Funnily enough we had listened to an interview about it yesterday on the radio travelling home so we were happy to give it a go. Considering it was about an archaeological site, which I thought might be a bit of a dull plot, it was a great feelgood film with some lovely characters and an interesting true story, based around Sutton Hoo. R and I are now feeling a bit remiss that although we go to Suffolk every year, barely half an hour from Sutton Hoo, we have never visited this historic site. Something we shall now remedy, hopefully if we get to Suffolk this summer. When we go to the east coast we find it too much effort to go inland until we travel home! Months of our lives we have spent holidaying by the same bit of sea and barely know any of the nearby attractions!

R reflected that our knowledge of our home town and surrounding area is similar limited. I don’t think we do much sight seeing. Anyway R is a liability if you take him to a private house like those belonging to the National Trust. I remember going to a lovely house whilst staying with friends in Cornwall. They were shocked at how cavalier R was about sitting on chairs, not meant to be used, and touching things that even your children would know was forbidden. He took to heart a notice that said ‘feel at home’ which was not meant to be taken literally.

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After a troubled night’s sleep I was at the car hire by 0815, having kept myself dry under a golf umbrella that was being blown about by the wind . The incessant rain overnight had caused me concern in regard to flooding, so I wanted to leave plenty of time to allow for any delays on the journey to the hospital in Ascot, where R had an appointment at 1130. Snow was also forecast on the weather app but thankfully didn’t materialise and infact we were in Ascot far earlier than we needed to be. Rather than sit for an hour in the car, that would get steadily colder, we took the opportunity to drive to Windsor and visit the castle from the outside. Unfortunately you cannot see much but it kept us occupied and provided a picture for the blog!

Whilst R was at his appointment, lasting at least 3 hours, I took the opportunity to go back home and return things from the boat that we just didn’t need and were taking up valuable space. Such as Christmas decorations and fancy clothes that I can’t see me having any occasion to don. By fancy I mean a winter day dress and some suede boots! I live in my thermals, topped by trousers and jumpers. Totally utilitarian and warm!

The house was empty save for our lodger Ellen and literally empty of all the clutter I had left behind. Downstairs looked amazing! However Ellen did admit she had no idea where anything was as the kitchen had been rearranged by G until he was satisfied things were in the right place. I had to text him to find a pair of scissors, even though I knew somewhere a dozen pairs lurked! The navy blue walls of the room painted by our boys does look extremely smart and when I went upstairs I was relieved to find the contents of R’s desk intact in piles, ready for him to sort on his return home. That’s going to be quite some undertaking. But then so is the rest of the sorting through of my ‘clutter’, much of it found upstairs ready to either redistribute over the house, or permanently get rid of. I hope now I am used to travelling light I will get rid of excess possessions. Time will tell! Saying that, although I took 4 big bags home I still returned to the boat with seemingly the same number! However that was nearly all edible and quaffable!

Travelling back to Leighton Buzzard was a breeze although a bit wet but I was so happy not to have snowy or icy conditions. Before returning the car we took the opportunity to buy heavy items, such as coal and wood from Aldi as we were able to park car very near to the boat. We spent a relaxed evening relieved to be back on the boat, having managed to return the hire car in one piece.

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Day 2 of isolation. How grateful am I it’s only until tomorrow! Decided to do Joe Wicks followed by 20 mins walking to music, which apparently makes you walk a mile in 20 mins as long as you have the beat at the right tempo. My brother rang and we can easily talk for 20 mins so I asked him to excuse any odd sounds because throughout our call I would keep walking. Which I did. Great way to exercise . Time flew by. After call the heating went on in preparation for enough hot water for a bath. Meanwhile I went through the boat with a fine tooth comb, honing out any excess stuff that we do not need. Tomorrow I will take it home while Richard undergoes his procedure as I will have a few hours waiting. It’s amazing how much excess stuff you can easily collect and on a small boat we really don’t want that. I have learnt that china plates are heavy and cumbersome and really not necessary. Melamine is sufficient. However I do require a thin china cup for my morning cup of tea! R always said I had too many pairs of shoes so some of them are going, along with a printer that was useful at Christmas but most correspondence can be done by email. Sadly my guitar is going home. I haven’t played it at all since our trip started so perhaps I have to accept my guitar playing days are over.

Talking of home, quite alot has happened in our absence. Our son G and his girlfriend moved in. It was too cluttered and so G has systematically gone through the house tidying up. To such an extent that he touched his father’s sacrosanct desk and put all the papers in one pile, saying dad could sort through them when he next came home. Then he started on the kitchen, moving through to the dining and living room. Nothing is where it was and coming home will feel a bit strange I think. I am delighted to have had the help and yet slightly dismayed that my disorganised drawers and thirty years of family life have been on display to his girlfriend! To top it all G and brother P decided to paint a downstairs room that was definitely in need of an overhaul. However instead of painting it an inoffensive magnolia which was planned in my head, they went for navy blue! It looks great but I still feel a little miffed they didn’t ask me first!

My regular Friday zoom was as good a cheer up as ever and made more exciting by one of the girls remarking that a friend had a labradoodle puppy for sale. Another of the zoom friends said she was interested and before we knew it had rung to see if the puppy was still available. Her husband is deaf and although they had hoped for a hearing dog this has not materialised. Labradoodles are extremely intelligent and so this puppy may be able to be trained to be a helpful companion to J. To be deaf now, with everyone wearing masks and thus unable to lipread, must be so difficult. I remember the first time I understood how deaf J was. A group of us were staying at a youth hostel where someone’s toast set off the fire alarm. J didn’t bat an eyelid because he heard nothing whilst the rest of us were deafened by the sound. It was quite a sobering moment.